How to watch Penn State vs. Butler basketball
Suffering a first setback of the 2023-24 season, Mike Rhoades made plain his message to the Penn State men’s basketball team afterwards. Dropping an 89-77 decision to No. 12 Texas A&M at the ESPN Events Invitational on Thanksgiving Day, the disappointment couldn’t linger.
The Nittany Lions wouldn’t have time for that.
Turning around for a 1:30 p.m. tip against Butler, the Bulldogs coming off a 91-86 loss to Florida Atlantic themselves, Penn State has another challenge on its hands Friday afternoon.
“Get right. Don’t let today beat us twice,” Rhoades told the in-house Penn State radio broadcast team. “I loved the effort we had, I loved the approach we had. It wasn’t good enough to beat a really good team. Don’t let today beat us twice. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow, I can promise you that.”
To be ready, the Nittany Lions will look to build on a promising performance in the loss to the Aggies.
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To the positive, Penn State repeatedly showed grit in keeping a surging Texas A&M team from fully pulling away. Between holding a first-half lead and bouncing back from every Aggie punch, the Nittany Lions demonstrated they could hang with one of the best teams in the country this season.
Areas to improve were equally plentiful, though. Showing little resistance on the interior against a Texas A&M outfit boasting slashing guard play and a bruising big man, Penn State will be tasked with making strides on a quick turnaround against the Bulldogs on Friday afternoon.
Here are details of how to see the Nittany Lions in action.
Game time, how to watch: Penn State (4-1) vs. Butler (3-2)
Venue: ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee, Fla.
Tip time: 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+
On the call: Dave O’Brien (play by play) & Cory Alexander (analyst)
Radio: Penn State Sports Network – Steve Jones (pxp) & Dick Jerardi (analyst)
Live stats: StatBroadcast
ESPN Events Invitational: Website | Bracket
Game Notes: Penn State
What is the Penn State-Butler spread?
The Nittany Lions are 1-point underdogs against the Bulldogs. And, the over/under betting total is 147.5.
Penn State injury updates
- After missing the first two games of the season, Puff Johnson has gradually increased his playing time. That topped out on Thanksgiving with a season-high 30 minutes, scoring 15 points off the bench for Penn State. “I loved his aggressiveness today. I loved how physical he was. Just gotta get back in it,” Rhoades said. “But, there were some things he did today that were really good. And he played a lot more minutes than I thought he would and felt pretty good and moved well. I thought he got to the offensive glass. That’s huge. We need him.
- Favour Aire, having broken a finger in preseason practice, is still on the mend. No update has been provided to his status since Monday, when Rhoades suggested the transfer center is still recovering. “I’m throwing him in there when he’s ready,” Rhoades said. “I have no clue when he’ll be back.”
